Newark, NJ – September 3, 2010 – Mayor Cory A. Booker announced today that the City’s “Bicycle Tour of Newark,” will hold a 25-mile non-competitive bicycle ride through all five of the City’s wards, on Saturday, September 18, 2010. The rain date is September 25. Check-in and registration for the event will start at 7 a.m. on the steps of City Hall, at 920 Broad Street. The event will also include a 5-mile Family Ride through Newark’s Downtown, which is suitable for families and children aged 8 to 14. The tour and Family Ride will both start promptly at 9 a.m.

“I am looking forward to leading Newark residents and visitors on a grand tour of our sacred City. I commend our Recreation team and our partners for their dedication and commitment in creating this tour. Newark has a long and celebrated history as a center of cycling. We are restoring that tradition as we revitalize Newark,” said Mayor Booker.

The 25-mile course will take riders through Newark’s neighborhoods past major landmarks through all five wards of the city. The tour will end at the corner of Broad and Green Streets in the City’s Downtown. The tour will include a regrouping point at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart Cathedral on Clifton Avenue and a rest stop at the Boylan Recreation Center at 916 South Orange Avenue in the City’s West Ward.

The “Bicycle Tour of Newark” is free and open to the public. All riders must wear protective helmets. Anyone under the age of 18 must have consent from a parent or guardian. All children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The first 150 cyclists to register will receive a free bike helmet. T-shirts will also be given out while supplies last. Rest stops, snacks, beverages, and a full police escort will be provided along the route. There will also be a drawing to give away brand new “TREK” adult bicycles.

“The Newark Bicycle Tour is helping us restore the history of cycling back to its historic site, Newark, and also propels our city to become environmentally-conscious and family-fit, leading the race in America for healthy communities,” said Acting Recreation Manager Cathy Lenix-Hooker.

Team Newark, a healthy lifestyle and fitness project initiated by the Harbourton Foundation in partnership with the City of Newark’s Division of Recreation/Cultural Affairs, is one of the main sponsors of the bike ride. Additional co-sponsors include Newark Now, Brick City Bicycle Collective, East Coast Greenway, and Newark Amateur Radio Society, Inc.

“Team Newark embodies our belief that healthy individuals create healthy communities,” said Jason Regan of the Harbourton Foundation. “We hope that this initiative will help re-ignite the historic bike culture of Newark.”

To help prepare cyclists for the 25-mile tour, the City is offering organized Pre-Tour Training Rides led by experienced cyclists, every Wednesday, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., at the Weequahic Park “Horse Track.”

For more information on Team Newark, visit their website atwww.TEAMNEWARK.org. Team Newark can also be followed on Twitter @teamnewark or on Facebook.

For more information about pre-registration for the Bicycle Tour of Newark you can call the Division of Recreation and Cultural Affairs at (973) 733-6454 or the Newark Non Emergency Call Center at (973) 733-4311. You can also go to www.NewarkBikeTour.com.